Canon of Scripture

[Kawaii957]

I often hear it asserted that we need an infallible church to give us the canon of scripture.

However, it seems that the canon of the Old Testament was accepted by Christ and the apostles prior to any council, Christian or Jewish, codifying it. If neither Christ nor the apostles felt the need to follow such a council, and followed rather the charisma of the people, why is it necessary for Christians today to have a church to infallibly define the canon?

 

[diggerdomer]

I often hear it asserted that we need an infallible church to give us the canon of scripture.

However, it seems that the canon of the Old Testament was accepted by Christ and the apostles prior to any council, Christian or Jewish, codifying it. If neither Christ nor the apostles felt the need to follow such a council, and followed rather the charisma of the people, why is it necessary for Christians today to have a church to infallibly define the canon?

Christ is God. If Christ accepted Scripture that’s all we need.

 

[Rolltide]

You actually hit upon a really important point here… that in Judaism up to the time of Christ, there was no set canon yet (although the Jews DID codify their canon shortly afterward). This is because Judaism set Sacred Tradition on par with the Scriptures. The Rabbis of Judaism could use their tradition, protected by God through the Old Covenant, as a source of protecting their faith and the truth of scripture, which was simply oral tradition written down. In the modern Christian world, the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox continue to maintain the equality of Sacred Tradition and the Bible, just as in the time of Christ and before, while many Protestant groups have switched, ironically, to a rejection of both Judaic and Christian oral tradition in favor of “Sola Scriptura”, or use of the Bible alone (which is, as stated above, nothing more than a written collection of oral tradition!). To question the infallibility of tradition as protected by the Holy Spirit and the covenant of God is to actually question the inerrancy of the Bible itself.

 

[guanophore]

I often hear it asserted that we need an infallible church to give us the canon of scripture.

However, it seems that the canon of the Old Testament was accepted by Christ and the apostles prior to any council, Christian or Jewish, codifying it. If neither Christ nor the apostles felt the need to follow such a council, and followed rather the charisma of the people, why is it necessary for Christians today to have a church to infallibly define the canon?

Whatever made you think that Jesus “followed the charisma of the people”? Do you not believe Jesus is God?

 

[imkingdad]

The “Jewish” Canon of the Old Testament was not firmly set in Christ’s day. Please avail yourself of the Various Historical documents from that time period & after ( both Religious & secular) to prove this to yourself.

 

[Cluny]

I have no idea what “charisma of the people” means.

Do you?

 

[MarcoPolo]

The simple answer is because we’re in the New Covenant now and it is the Church that bears the authoritative guidance of the Holy Spirit as Christ promised to His Apostles and would guide them “till the end of the age.” Others are correct, however, that there was no closed canon in the Old Covenant.

 

[David_Zampino]

I often hear it asserted that we need an infallible church to give us the canon of scripture.

However, it seems that the canon of the Old Testament was accepted by Christ and the apostles prior to any council, Christian or Jewish, codifying it. If neither Christ nor the apostles felt the need to follow such a council, and followed rather the charisma of the people, why is it necessary for Christians today to have a church to infallibly define the canon?

In Jesus’ day, the Canon of the Hebrew Scriptures had not yet been codified. The Sadducees accepted only the Law – the Penteteuch. The Pharisees accepted the Law and the Prophets, which included the “Former Prophets” – Joshua, Judges, I and II Samuel, I and II Kings, and the “Latter Prophets” – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and “The Scroll of the Twelve” (the Minor Prophets). The third section of the Hebrew Scriptures, was being vigorously debated during the 1st centuries (BC and AD). Even Jesus alludes to this in Luke when he speaks of the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms.

I’m not sure what you mean by the “charisma of the people”.